According to a new report by the U.S. Census Bureau, senior citizens now represent a larger share of the population than ever before – and the trend is expected to continue into the future.
As of April 2010, the Census Bureau said, an estimated 40.3 million people age 65 and older lived in the U.S., representing 13% of the total national population. In 1990, the government said, seniors made up just 4.1% of the entire population.
As a trend, the growth of the senior population is alarming. Between 2000 and 2010, the Census Bureau said, the senior population was 15.1%, outpacing the 9.7% growth level of the total U.S. population.
And, as one would expect, seniors are living longer. The number of Americans aged 85 to 94 grew from 3.9 million in 2000 to 5.1 million in 2010, for example.
On the younger side of the demographic, the 65-69 age group is predicted to grow more rapidly in coming years thanks to the Baby Boomer generation hitting that age segment.
Geographically, seniors are concentrated in the South, where 14.9 million people 65 and older live; the Midwest, in second, has just 9 million. And not surprisingly, Florida remains the number one destination for seniors, with those age 65 and older making up 17.3% of the state population.